This invention relates to an endoscopic or laparoscopic stapling device and to an associated surgical staple. More particularly, this invention relates to a device usable with an endoscope and/or in a laparoscopic surgical procedure for performing a stapling operation on a patient's internal body tissues at a surgical site not visible to the unaided eye.
Conventional surgical techniques for repairing tissue injuries such as hernias and perforated ulcers, for closing other openings in internal body tissues and for ligating tubular body organs such as sperm ducts and Fallopian tubes, generally require that an extensive incision be made in the patient's abdominal wall. Such an operation is generally traumatic to the patient, involves considerable surgeon time and requires a relatively lengthy convalescence. This is the case even though only one or a small number of sutures is required to repair the injury or tie off the vessel.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,015,249 and 5,049,153 disclose a method for stapling internal body tissues wherein a staple is provided having a spring bias tending to force the staple into an opened configuration. The staple has a pair of legs connected to one another by a bight portion and further has an additional spring bias or a pair of locking elements for maintaining the staple in a closed postfiring configuration. The method in accordance with disclosures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,015,249 and 5,049,153 comprises the steps of (a) exerting a closure force on the staple to hold the staple in a closed prefiring configuration inside the distal end of a surgical instrument in opposition to the spring bias, (b) shifting the staple in a distal direction to eject the staple from the surgical instrument, (c) relaxing the closure force, thereby permitting the staple to open under the spring bias, (d) inserting distal ends of the legs into the internal body tissues to be stapled, and (e) closing the staple and maintaining the staple in the closed postfiring configuration.
Endoscopic or laparoscopic surgical procedures utilizing the stapling closure operation of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,015,249 and 5,049,153 represent a significant advance in operative techniques. However, the surgical staple with the spring bias is difficult to manufacture and is possibly unwieldy and difficult to control in surgery. Accordingly, a surgical staple and an associated staple assembly are needed which will simplify manufacture and facilitate implementation of the endoscopic/laparoscopic stapling techniques of the afore-mentioned patents.